Squash patties is one of the best recipes I’ve found for making use of lots of squash. The recipe did not originate from me, I’ve merely tweaked it to my liking. Recently I whipped up a batch of these for a 100-mile radius potluck and I was able to use almost all local ingredients, including the squash & zucchini, eggs, onion, and cheese. The recipe is a little time intensive but it’s not difficult, and it makes a lot! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Squash Patties

Ingredients

Approx. 8 small to medium yellow squash or 3 large zucchini (~8-10 cups shredded)

2 medium yellow onions

1-2 cloves garlic (to taste)

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 cup flour (or more if needed)

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cup cheese (I prefer something with some zing, like sharp cheddar)

Black pepper to taste

Vegetable oil (or other oil or fat for pan frying)

Instructions

1. Shred onion and squash, add salt, and drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes or until no longer wet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together squash and onion with all the remaining ingredients except the oil. You’re looking for a somewhat wet, batter-like consistency. If it is too wet, add a little more flour.
3. Heat oil in a skillet (non-stick recommended) over medium heat. Drop the mixture by about 2 tablespoonfuls into the pan and flatten slightly (a disher works great for this.) Cook ~4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat until finished.

These are best enjoyed when still warm and a little crispy, though they do reheat well. I enjoy mine with sour cream and a little hot sauce. Mmmmm.

I’ve uploaded a few more photos to my AC Facebook album, sorry Flickr folks I haven’t sent any your way. I’m going to try to get some better (non-camera phone) pics to upload soon. Also, if you’re interested in more general reports of what is happening here at Conference, along with some more pictures, be sure to check out the official Annual Conference news page which is updated every evening.

One part of Annual Conference is the numerous insight sessions that take place on various topics of interest. I enjoyed going to a couple such insight sessions today, titled “Sharing the Good News Within and Beyond our Communities of Faith” and “Engaging our Communities with Jesus.” However one of my favorite events today was an opportunity tonight for those of us who are interested in the emergent church conversation to get together for our own conversation.

This was a special opportunity for me to sit down with people from across the country who are interested in some of the same trains of thought that I am interested in. I read many blogs that deal with the emergent church and I’ve really enjoyed reading the Emergent Brethren blog over the last several months. After tonight I’m going to try much harder to become a regular part of that online community as we work together to see what the emerging church looks like in our various Brethren contexts.

I’ve also purchased a stack of books (many of which are emergent or missionally oriented) and I hope to review some of them here in the coming months. I really do think that the emergent / missional conversation and movement is where the church is headed in order to be relevant and authentic in our society and culture. I see many ways in which the Church of the Brethren, both historically and currently, resonates with this supposedly “new” movement. Expect to hear more from me about this in the future!

One last note about my dining adventures while here in Richmond - last night we ate at the Strawberry Street Cafe and it was wonderful. It’s located in an area of Richmond near Monument Ave. known as “the fan” and has been a favorite eatery there for the last 30 years. Since I normally live quite a bit farther from the sea I took the opportunity to sample some of their crab-based dishes (crab soup, crab quiche, and crab cakes) and they were all splendid. I also got to taste some of their other offerings, all of which were quite good as well. I would definitely recommend it as a nice locally-owned place to check out if you ever happen to find yourself in Richmond, VA!

It was a long drive from Richmond (IN) to Richmond (VA) yesterday, but thankfully I had a friend travelling with me which made the trip much more enjoyable. I’ve been having fun already using my Blackberry to post pictures of my trip online. I tried using the Flickr app that’s available for Blackberry and uploaded a few photos from that. I may upload some more to Flickr, but I think that for the most part I’m going to use a different solution.

Another of the fun, addictive apps for Blackberry is a well-done facebook app that allows you to send messages, post to people’s wall’s, and upload photos. It has allowed me to easily create a new album, tag people, and upload photos almost as soon as I take them. If you’re on facebook, look me up there. If you’re not, don’t worry, not all is lost. There is a publicly accessible version of the photo album!

Last night we had a great worship service and I went with my folks to Sine’ Irish Pub and Restaurant for dinner. The atmosphere was awesome, the pricing was reasonable, and the food was great (though not all that Irish.)

Thus far I’ve spent a lot of time reconnecting with people and visiting the exhibit call. If you’re at Annual Conference and you want to connect, drop me a line here, give a call, send me an email, or leave me a message on the board and we’ll try to cross paths.

I’ll be updating this page occasionally with highlights of conference, so check back soon!

Back in the early days of Firefox it held many clear advantages over its primary competitor, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. These days, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Firefox have all come a long way, and each has some very compelling merits. I’ve used all three and in my experience this newest version of Firefox is on top of the heap.

Apparently I’m not the only one who is excited about Firefox. As I am writing this, about 6,287,283 downloads have been registered on Mozilla’s official counter on the Spread Firefox site. Mozilla is hoping to establish a world record for most downloads in a 24 hour period, and on the site said they hoped to reach 5 million. Obviously they’ve easily surpassed this, and they still have another 4 hours to go.

There are tons of articles floating around outlining the many improvements made in this new version of Firefox including faster page loading, less memory usage, a nearly-psychic “smart” address bar, and increased security features. Here are just a couple of the articles I’ve read about it:

• Top 10 Firefox 3 Features (Lifehacker)
• Top 10 reasons you should upgrade to Firefox 3 (TG Daily)
• Igniting an open revolution: Firefox 3 officially released (Ars Technica)
• Technology Today: Firefox 3 Download Day (I Never Promised You an Organic Garden)

So what are you waiting for? Download it and take it for a test drive!

My bike is a full-suspension mountain bike, which I used to actually bike in the mountains back when I lived in Virginia. It’s about 4 or 5 years old now, and the bottom bracket (the assembly that the crank runs through) was beginning to exhibit quite a bit of wear, causing my pedals to wobble.

Some of you may expect that I would simply fix my bike on my own, considering that is my usual practice with cars. However, I have little (ok, no) experience doing bike repair, and none of the special tools it may require. So I found myself in need of a repair shop.

When I can I like to try and help out new local businesses, and it just so happens that there is fairly new bike shop in town here in Richmond, the Cycling and Fitness Warehouse. I decided I’d give them a shot and I took in my bike. At the time it was right at the beginning of the summer season, so they were swamped with repair work. After about two weeks I recieved a call letting me know that the bike was done and I went to pick it up.

I had expected to have racked up a somewhat sizable repair bill, however I was pleased that instead of replacing the entire bottom bracket assembly they had simply redone the bearings and put everything back together. I paid my $8.50 and headed home a happy customer.

Fast forward a couple weeks … I’ve ridden my bike some around town and the wobble has returned, indicating that something was still amiss with the recently-repaired bottom bracket. I called up the shop and they told me to bring it in and they’d have it looked at in a day or two.

When I came to pick it up, I was shown that the pedals were once again tight, and told that this time they re-packed the bearings again and replaced a bushing. I was impressed that they were still trying to fix the problem without replacing parts unnecessarily. I was also pleased that when I asked what I owed they said “nothing” since it was my second trip to see them about the same problem.

This time I rode the bike home, and by the time I got back I noticed the wobble was already starting to return, though not as bad. I called the shop back (by now I was on a first name basis with the guy) and he said to bring it in again and they’d have it fixed in a day or two.

So this past Tuesday I rode back down to the shop, talked to the guys there for a bit, and dropped the bike off. The plan now was to go ahead and replace the entire bottom bracket assembly. There’s a part of me that thought “finally … this is what I expected them to do in the first place.” However, I also think they were right not to replace it if it wasn’t really defective. Finally we were all in agreement that yes, it was.

Saturday morning I was back at the shop to pick my bike up, hopefully for the last time (at least for this problem.) I was greeted by a friendly “hi Matt” as I walked in the door. After getting my bike back I once again asked what I owed, expecting to at least pay for the price of the new bottom bracket assembly. But once again I was told that I was not going to be charged. Needless to say, I was pleased.

As I rode my bike home the difference was like night and day. It felt so good I rode far past my house, just to ride. Now I could be cranky about the fact that it took three trips to the shop to get this problem right, or that the whole ordeal took over a month, but I’m not. And why is that? Great customer service.

I think that in the modern age of internet shopping and mega-marts, we often forget what really good customer service is like. In our phone conversations I quickly went from being “Mat, the owner of the full-suspension Mountainsmith bike” to “Matt with the bottom bracket problems” to just “Matt.” The people I talked to at the shop were sincerely apologetic that the problem had not yet been fixed. And I know that the shop ended up spending both time and money to make sure I was a happy customer. All this for someone who had never set foot in their shop before all this began.

And so I am a happy customer. They will recieve more of my business and I’ll gladly spread the word of my experiences there. Having worked in customer service before, I know it isn’t always easy (or even possible) to keep patrons happy, so I applaud this shop’s efforts to do so. Now if only all my online customer service issues were handled in a similarly pleasant way.

If you’re in or around Richmond, IN and need a cycle shop, be sure to check out the Cycling and Fitness Warehouse. (Be forewarned that their website, while flashy, is rather obnoxious.) Tell them Matt with the bottom bracket problems sent you. I’m sure they’ll be glad to know their good customer service paid off.

Open Source & Freedom

Linux is an operating system that is based on the “open source” model. In explaining what open source software is, the discussion often shifts quickly to the issue of freedom. One of the attributes of Linux that is often used to convince people to try it is because it’s free, it costs them no money to use it. While this is sometimes true, it is a distortion of the freedom of open source. The phrases that are often used in describing the freedom of open source are “free as in beer” and “free as in speech.” Put briefly, not all open source software is necessarily available free of charge. In fact many of the versions of Linux that are used by businesses and corporations can cost quite a bit. However, true open source software is always free as in speech.

At it’s most basic definition, open source is software where the end-user is allowed to change the source code of the program to suit their needs or desires. This means that if a user is technically savvy enough to know how to make changes in the programming language the software is written in they can adapt it to their particular situation. Often times users are then allowed to redistribute their new version. This contrasts with the “closed source” model, which has been the predominant method in the computer industry and used by companies like Microsoft, in which the end-user is given permission only to use software as the original author intended, and does not allow for any unauthorized changes, modifications, or distribution.

Why does it matter?

For those who could not edit the source code of a program if their life depended on it, why should you care whether or not the software you use is open or closed source? I’ve heard “open source evangelists” take a number of different tacts to this. One is the economic route - the scenario mentioned previously based on acquiring software that is “free as in beer.” While this may appeal to some people’s purse strings, I think it trivializes some of the larger implications of open source. Besides, most average users will never install a new operating system, so to them whatever version of Microsoft Windows (Or Mac OS X) came preinstalled on their computer probably seems just as free in this sense. Similarly, it is an unfortunate reality that software piracy leads to many people acquiring closed source software for free using less-than-legal methods.

In my mind, the attractiveness of open source (and in turn Linux) is that it is a more socially just model for using technology. As a Christian and a concerned world citizen I care whether or not my actions are furthering social justice or hindering it. Open source allows people and populations to adapt and use software in ways that are most useful to their situation, whether it is because of language issues, social context, cultural differences, and so on. Large, closed-source software companies are often less interested in smaller, less economically viable markets because of their primarily profit-based nature. Meanwhile open source allows programs to be translated into many different languages and settings and to be easily (and legally) distributed.

Open source software is available for all different operating systems, with one of the most popular examples being the Mozilla Firefox internet browser. Another great open source program is OpenOffice.org, a full featured open source alternative to Microsoft Office. But in my opinion the ultimate expression of open source is the Linux operating system. Because of its open source nature, there are many different versions (called distributions) of Linux. I personally have chosen to use Ubuntu Linux, but there are many other no-cost options that are just as viable, such as Fedora, openSUSE, Foresight, gOS, and more.

The nice thing about many distributions is that they available on a “LiveCD” which allows potential new users to try the operating system without making any irreversible changes to their computers.

It is important to me to support business practices and institutions that I feel are working toward fairness and equality. This is especially true with technology, because it can create such a rift between the haves and the have-nots. For me, I feel that supporting Linux and open soure software in general are ways to make technology more accessible to a broader range of people. One way I see this happening is through initiatives that make old computers and hardware usable once again by installing Linux and then making them available to people and families that may not otherwise be able to afford a computer.

If you still don’t want to use Linux …

I’ll freely admit that not everyone will want to (or even be able to) switch over to Linux. I promise I won’t think any less of you, and if anyone else does then shame on them. However, there are still some things you can do to help support social justice issues when it comes to computers. If you are interested in open source and don’t want to take the big step of replacing your operating system, give Firefox or OpenOffice a try. If you don’t want to (or can’t for whatever reason) take that step and you still want to support socially just computing, then you might consider donating money to an organization that is working to further such values. I also realize that some of you may not be interested in doing any of these things, even if you agree that Linux and open source are great ways of making technology more accessible. However, there are still some things you can do as well.

Let me tell you a short story: I recently had some interactions with an organization that required me to complete some extensive paperwork for them. (I won’t name any names, but some of you who know me may be able to figure out the identity of this organization.) To complete this paperwork, I had to use a program that only runs in Microsoft Windows. This was a problem for me, since none of my computers use Windows as their primary operating system. Thankfully I was able to set up a “virtual” instance of Windows that allowed me to use this program, but had I not had access to a legitimate Windows license and install CD I wouldn’t have been able to use this program and would not have been able to fill out the important paperwork. After using the program I had to upload a file to this organization’s web site. I first tried this using Firefox on my Linux computer, only to have it fail. I called them and discovered that their web site would only work with Internet Explorer.

I share this story as an example of how you (and others) can support social justice through supporting Linux and open source software. Our actions must not stop at celebrating the fact that there is a free and fair alternative to often expensive and inaccessible closed source programs. Linux and open source software not only address a social justice issue but they also create another. Once people have access to technology and the internet, we must also do what we can to make sure they are not treated as second-class because they do not use Microsoft Windows. Companies and organizations need to realize this as they require the use of computer programs and web sites that only work with Windows.

I don’t expect this article will cause anyone who hasn’t considered using Linux to do so. If it does, by all means let me know how it goes and if you have any questions. It is my hope that together we can begin to help others understand that Linux and other open source programs are not only used by “geeks” anymore, but are a viable alternative for less privileged people in this country and throughout the world, for non-profit organizations (such as churches) who cannot afford to spend lots of money on computers and software, and for users like me who want to support social justice in the area of technology. Regardless of what operating system and other software you may use, it’s time to stop looking down our noses at one another and recognize the social implications of the way we all interact with computers.

According to the May ‘08 sales figures reported by Autoblog and The Torque Report, the F-150 was outsold by the Honda Civic (#1), Toyota Corolla (#2), Toyota Camry (#3), and Honda Accord (#4)! Both the Civic and the Corolla sold over 10,000 units more than the F-150. If other automakers weren’t serious about selling more small cars in the U.S. already, you can bet they’re getting more interested now!

Some of the other numbers reported are just as amazing, such as the fact that the HUMMER division of General Motors sold less than 2,000 vehicles total (all models) last month, a decline of 61% over last year’s figures. Meanwhile, MINI sales are up 47%.

It seems to me that folks in the U.S. are finally changing their buying habits because of increased fuel costs. As much as I’d like to think that environmental concerns might also play a role in this shift, I have a feeling that this change is mostly due to the fact that gas is still hovering around $4 a gallon and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

Cnet.com’s most recent Car Tech podcast (episode 69) also shares some interesting buying trends with regards to used cars. Not surprisingly, large SUVs and pickups are depreciating at an alarmingly quick rate, along with large luxury cars. However, there has been a surge in interest among used car buyers for old fuel-sippers such as the Geo Metro, Honda CRX, and just about any older VW model with a diesel engine. It seems my chance at finding a low-mileage diesel VW Golf for a reasonable price is growing slimmer and slimmer.

In the end I feel that the church is going to be a wonderful place for me to be the pastor, and will provide me with great opportunities to continue to learn and grow as a ministering person. Don’t expect any revealing posts about the congregation or my work there as a pastor, as I intend this to remain a site informed by my own interests and not those of the church. Likewise it should go without saying that anything that I may post here is not in any way meant to represent an endorsement by the church.

I begin my new position June 16th, and while there may be a higher than usual number of posts between now and then don’t be surprised if during the first couple weeks after I start there is a bit of a drop-off.

1. Cook’s Illustrated

I know some of you may balk at the idea of paying to access a web site full of recipes when there are so many free sites out there. Hear me out. I have had a subscription to the print version of Cook’s Illustrated for a few years now and I love it. I have gotten more great recipes from them than from any other resource. About a year and a half ago I bit the bullet, tried the 14 day free trial, then paid for a year’s membership to the website as well. Neither are particularly cheap, the magazine is $24.95 for one year (six issues) and the site membership is another $24.95 annually.

It’s worth it. Like Consumer Reports, Cook’s Illustrated does not accept any advertising, so the only thing they are interested in selling you is more of their own products. Because of this I highly respect their recommendations on what kitchen gear and ingredients are best. All of their recipes are tested many, many times over and tasted by a panel of “real people.” Though some of their ingredients and methods may border on the fussy side, I have yet to fix a dish of theirs that I haven’t loved. Enough with the gushing … check them out! (If you live nearby and want to borrow a couple of the print copies, let me know.)

2. All Recipes

Here’s a freebie for ya. Though there are lots of websites full of user-submitted recipes on the ‘net, I always find myself coming back to All Recipes. In addition to tons of user-rated and reviewed recipes the site features robust tools for meal planning, grocery shopping, and storing favorite recipes. I also like that they have a good selection of world and ethnic foods. One of the features I’ve tried to mixed success is finding recipes based on particular ingredients, which I suppose could come in handy if you have a pantry full of food and can’t figure out what to fix. The one time this did come in handy was dealing with last year’s abundance of yellow squash from our garden.

3. Cooking for Engineers

This one appeals to my geeky side. If you’ve got a geeky side too, you should definitely check it out. The article on kitchen scales was one of the main factors in my decision to choose the kitchen scale I did when I finally bought one. They have lots of good gear reviews and recipes, all with lots of great pictures and instructions. The folks who run the site have even created a new way of writing out recipes for quick reference which has to be seen to be believed. If you’ve got an analytical mind and a culinary passion, this site is for you.

4. Cooking.com

Yes, I’m including an online retailer amongst my favorite cooking websites. Cooking.com carries an amazing array of cooking-related gadgets, gizmos and gear. And I’m a sucker for all 3. They also have some gear reviews, though I tend to rely on their reviews less than Cook’s Illustrated. If you’re looking for hard-to-find tools for cooking, this site should be on your short list. In my experience their prices tend to be very reasonable. This is particularly true if you shop their extensive clearance & sale sections. It’s the first place I head when I’ve got some spare change to spend on kitchen toys. However, it’s not the only …

5. Cutlery and More

While it’s not as glitzy and full-featured as Cooking.com, Cutlery and More is definitely an A+ site for procuring cooking gear. My most recent order from them was mostly cutlery, appropriately enough, but I must admit that I’ve ordered more gear from them lately than I have from Cooking.com. They have a great selection of MAC knives and Forschner Fibrox, which are recommended by Cook’s Illustrated and just might be the best cutlery value out there. Do yourself a favor and check them out the next time you get ready to head to the store and buy a new kitchen knife. You’ll get way more for your money here.

Do you have any favorite cooking sites you’d like to share? Any experiences (good or bad) with the sites I’ve listed? If so let’s hear about it in the comments …

I’ve read two of his previous books, Preaching Re-Imagined and Church Re-Imagined, so I was excited to hear that he was getting ready to release a new one, titled A Christianity Worth Believing (or ACWB for short.) Here’s a quick “trailer” for the book, from Doug’s blog:

I’m excited about ACWB because it touches on some of the issues that are challenging Christianity and the church as we move into the 21st century and towards postmodernity. There are so many theologies, understandings, and rituals in the church that were created for particular communities in particular times that are no longer necessarily relevant to our time and place. Giving people permission to recognize and name this and the tools to then begin to do something about it is incredibly important to me. I’m hoping that Doug addresses this in this new book.

This fall Doug is going to be trying to host a six-week online book club on ACWB. I’m not sure when it will start, but I’m going to give it a whirl. I guess that means I might have to wait until then to read the book. Either that or I’ll just read it now and then again later. I might also be interested in orchestrating a group reading & conversation series around ACWB as well. This could be either web-based or in person. If you’re interested in doing something like this, speak up and we’ll see what we can put together!